


Natsuiro Egao

by Uncle_Riko



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-15 00:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21024395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uncle_Riko/pseuds/Uncle_Riko
Summary: If anyone one would understand the allure of NatsuComi it’d be Lily! Had Yoshiko taught her nothing?





	Natsuiro Egao

**Author's Note:**

> For my irl friend (you know who you are)! Thanks for accompanying me to my first con!

Those mortals were all sorely mistaken. Summer vacation was not about going to the beach, training camps, or even the Love Live tournament—no, summer vacation meant _NatsuComi_. Verily, nothing screamed “summer” quite like queueing up in the blistering heat, in sweltering cosplays, packed like sardines in a crowded venue. Desho!?

“That sounds awful.”

“Ehhhh?? What do you mean?” Yoshiko had barely begun her pitch and already Riko was shooting her down.

“Why would you subject yourself to such torture?” The look of disgust on the redhead’s face said it all.

“B-But, but…! You read doujins and stuff, don’t you?? There’s gonna be tons of famous circles there—”

“—I-I do not!” Riko quickly returned.

“You’d have a blast, I promise!” Yoshiko begged. “C’mon, Lily!”

Riko bit her lip, “W-Well, it doesn’t matter, I’m busy that weekend…”

“Really? Awww, man...”

So Riko couldn’t go. N-No big deal...! It’s not like this was Yoshiko’s first rodeo. She had been going to Comiket by herself for the past few years, ever since her mother had deemed her old enough to go unaccompanied.

Still...Yoshiko had taken Riko under her wing—she was no mere mortal anymore; she was a full-fledged Little Demon! If anyone one would understand the allure of NatsuComi it’d be Lily! Had Yoshiko taught her nothing?

To be fair, it’s not like Riko could help being “busy” (as suspiciously nondescript as that was). Maybe next year, then…? And it’s not like she couldn’t have fun without Riko. This year would be no different than the years past—she’d dress up, she’d go, and she’d have a good time, dammit!

* * *

Yoshiko looked her outfit up and down in the mirror. She wore her standard dark black dress, puffed out at the bottom, with a purple satin bow at her midrift. A feathery black halo, a trademark of the datenshi, sat atop her head, but as for the angel wings, those she’d have to forgo; it’d be much too crowded to maneuver around the venue with them. It was a modest outfit in comparison to the cosplays she’d soon be seeing, but, to be fair, this kind of outfit wasn’t so much “cosplay” as it was the standard attire of a fallen angel.

. . .

The train into the city was fairly packed—as to be expected on the con’s opening day. If this was what it looked like on Friday though, Yoshiko could only imagine what it’d be like tomorrow, when the con was in full swing. Right from the get, she could spot people with their passes dangling from their lanyards, some even in cosplay. She was starting to get excited, revitalized. So baka Riko didn’t want to come, so what? Sure, Yoshiko would be lying if she said she hadn’t been looking forward to showing Comiket off to her number one little demon. But forget Riko, just seeing everyone on the commute in was getting her amped; she could still have a great time without her!

It was late morning by the time she arrived at the venue, by which time there was still a considerable line simply to get through the doors. But it wasn’t as daunting as everyone says, at least they were outdoors, with fresh air, and luckily, the weather seemed to be cooperating. Besides, queueing wasn’t half as bad when there were other con-goers to mingle with, and cosplays to scout out.

She finally reached security and the front of the line. She learned early on that certain demonic paraphernalia was best left at home, so since then, she travelled light, and it’d always been smooth sailing through the baggage check.

As she walked dramatically through the double doors into the main hall, emphatically announcing her arrival (to no one in particular), a smile returned to her face. She was finally back.

The main hall was abuzz with a sea of con-goers, hopping to and from merchandise vendors. There was a rhythmic chaos to the congestion—fairly intimidating to your average attendee, but nothing to a seasoned veteran. This was where Yoshiko would buy all her general souvenirs and trinkets: key chains, plushies, any other sort of anime and gaming knick-knacks she was on the hunt for.

But this Comiket she was on a mission. Ever since Mari had first alerted them to the fact that there were, in fact, Aqours nesoberis in circulation (by flaunting her Dia and Kanan nesos, no less), Yoshiko knew in her heart of hearts that she had to get her hands on a Riko plushie. So maybe there was a silver lining to Riko not accompanying her: she wouldn’t have to bear witness to Yoshiko’s shameless haul.

Yoshiko was quick to insert herself into the moving sea of customers. As dedicated as she was, she wasn’t the type to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to the venue, so she knew there was a very real chance of all the vendors selling out of her coveted Riko neso. And honestly, why not? Who wouldn’t want to cop a Riko neso??

She scanned the booths, the shelves, the arms and zipped open backpacks of fellow customers. For the first time, reality hit her—Aqours had really made it hadn’t they? People were buying, carrying and hugging_ Yohane_ plushes. People were walking around in cosplays that were clearly modeled after outfits Aqours had worn during their performances. And it wasn’t just Aqours; she recognized Saint Snow merchandise, Muse cosplays, A-RISE posters—this whole school idol thing really was popular, wasn’t it?

Just as she was about to completely zone out in introspection, a glimmer of scarlet red caught the corner of her eye from across the room. There was no mistaking it: the hairpin, the beige Uranohoshi uniform, the blank and lifeless, yet oddly cute, circles for eyes—it was definitely a Riko Sakurauchi nesoberi.

Yoshiko wormed her way through the crowd, praying that no one would snatch Riko up in the thirty seconds it would take to reach the booth. As she clawed her way to the front of the line, the barely audible words leaving her mouth, she heard the same demand echoed by a stranger to her left:

“I’ll take the Riko neso!!”

The two looked at each other with wide eyes. Yoshiko stared at this girl, who, perhaps the same age as she, was just as enamored of Riko.

“This is my last one,” the vendor interrupted, amidst their staring contest, “you guys can decide who gets it.”

Yoshiko bit her lip. Sure, she was desperate, but she wasn’t about to snatch this neso out from under this poor girl—

“Wait, you’re Yoshiko aren’t you!”

“Well, _Yohane_, but yes—”

“Oh my gosh!!” the girl squealed. “I’m such a huge fan of Aqours and Guilty Kiss!”

“Eh? O-Oh, uh, t-thanks…” Yoshiko smiled sheepishly. She wasn’t used to this type of fan interaction, or any fan interaction, really.

“Would it be ok if I got a picture with you? You can totally have the Riko neso!”

“Eh!? Ah, s-sure!” All she wanted was a photo?? Seemed like a worthy trade-off.

The girl whipped out her phone, assuming the classic Yohane pose. Yoshiko subconsciously mirrored her, a nervous smile on her face.

“Thanks so much, Yoshiko-chan!” the girl ran off, waving behind her, leaving a stunned Yoshiko dazed and confused.

The vendor handed her the plushie. “That’ll be 3600 yen.”

. . .

Yoshiko was over the moon. Cradling the Riko in her arms, she didn’t care if she looked like a fangirl, or that she’d spent weeks of allowance on a plush doll—she had accomplished her mission, and that’s all that mattered.

She walked around aimlessly, her head in the clouds. She had a list of things she’d been meaning to purchase, but nothing was quite as high in importance as the Riko neso, and honestly, it might be cheaper to purchase all the smaller things on Sunday when vendors were slashing prices and willing to haggle.

She checked her phone. She’d been walking around for a few hours, having seen most of what the main hall had to offer. She flipped through the convention schedule on the official website. Maybe she’d catch one of the side panels that was going on before she had to head home—

“Ah! I’m so sorry!”

She’d fallen to the ground with a thud, just then realizing it probably wasn’t a good idea to be walking and staring at her phone in the middle of a crowded venue.

“No, don’t be,” Yoshiko replied to the apologizing stranger, “I should’ve been looking where I was walking—” She looked up, her eyes meeting a glittering pair of golden irises. She stopped short; there was a natural, mesmerizing quality to these eyes, something you couldn’t get from any ordinary colored contacts. It seemed almost familiar…who else did she know that had this eye color?

While Yoshiko was momentarily spellbound, the stranger, too, seemed surprised to lock eyes with her.

“Y-Yoshi—!” Quickly she clapped her hands over her mouth, stifling the rest of her exclamation.

“Hm…?”

“Oh, nothing…!” The girl hastily offered a hand to help Yoshiko up.

Yoshiko smoothed out her dress, while the stranger bent down to pick up the Riko neso, which had ended up on the ground. She dusted it off before handing it back to Yoshiko, “Here you go!”

“T-Thanks…” Yoshiko didn’t know what else to say. Even apart from her eyes she was suddenly realizing the girl in front of her was actually quite breathtaking. And as was apparent from the first five seconds of this conversation, she wasn’t the most adept to talking to pretty girls.

She wore a black leather jacket, this stranger, complete with thigh-high stockings and a pink tartan skirt. Her hair was long and blonde, tied up in a ponytail—an obvious wig to a seasoned cosplayer, but a realistic one nonetheless. It was a simple cosplay, some sort of punk rock chick, but so elegantly executed.

“Well, I should really get going,” the girl announced hurriedly, “I have to get over to the auxiliary hall—”

“W-Wait…!” Yoshiko found herself shouting after her. She didn’t know what was she was doing, or where she was going with this, all she knew is that she didn’t want this encounter to end. “I-I’m heading there too, would you, uh…would you want to walk over there together…?”

The girl looked at her wide-eyed, surprised. Finally, her gaze softened, “Sure, why not?”

. . .

“M-My name’s Yohane by the way.”

“Yohane, huh? Well it’s nice to meet you, Yohane. I’m—” The girl paused, much to the obliviousness of an infatuated Yoshiko, “…Sakura, my name’s Sakura.”

“Sakura? That’s a pretty name…” Yoshiko muttered, under her breath.

The blonde chuckled, “And who do you have here?” She motioned to the neso that Yoshiko held in her arms.

So Sakura didn’t know about Aqours? Why did that seem like such a relief? “Oh, she’s from an idol group that I’m in—I mean, that I like…!” She smiled wistfully, “She’s pretty special to me, actually.”

“I-Is that so...” Sakura turned away momentarily, and Yoshiko could’ve sworn she was hiding a blush on her cheeks.

Suddenly realizing how awkward she’d made it, Yoshiko quickly diffused the tension. “S-So who are you cosplaying as?”

“Oh this? It’s just a uh, a punk rocker from some anime…y-you’ve probably never heard of it. It was a super last-minute decision, see, it’s my first time here, and I wasn’t originally planning to cosplay so—”

“Wait, it’s your first con?” Yoshiko interjected, mildly surprised.

“Yeah! It’s been super fun, but definitely a bit overwhelming haha…I bought a few things, but I’ve kinda just been walking around aimlessly to be honest.”

Suddenly, an idea popped into Yoshiko’s mind. “Are you gonna be here tomorrow, Sakura?”

“Eh? Yeah, why?”

Yoshiko twiddled her thumbs timidly, “I was wondering…a-and I hope this isn’t too forward of me but, maybe I could show you around tomorrow…? Like hit all the highlights and can’t-miss booths? I’ve been to a ton of these, so I’m really familiar with everything. O-Only if you want to though…!”

There was a slight hesitation, but Sakura smiled, “Sure, I’d like that.”

Yoshiko, almost surprised to hear Sakura accept, was beaming from ear to ear. “Oh, awesome! Well, I actually have to get going now, I have to be home soon or my mom will worry.” She surveyed her surroundings. They were at the entrance to the auxiliary hall. “Do you want to meet up here tomorrow at like ten-thirty?”

“Works for me.”

“Cool, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yep, see you tomorrow, Yohane!”

* * *

Yoshiko flopped onto her bed with a sigh of happiness. What a day. Out of all the stuff that’d happened, she was most happy she wouldn’t have to spend tomorrow alone at the con. She hugged her neso (the second best thing to happen that day) tightly, suddenly reminding her of a certain red-headed little demon.

**Yoshiko:**You missed out today lily  
  
**Yoshiko:**Natsucomi was super fun  
  
**Riko:**I’m sure I didn’t miss out on much.  
  
**Yoshiko:**Whatever I found someone else to hang out with at the con  
  
**Riko:**Did you now?  
  
**Yoshiko:**Yeah she’s super nice and super pretty so don’t get jealous now ya hear?  
  
**Riko:**Excuse me?  
  
**Yoshiko:**that’s right and we’re hanging out again tomorrow. Bet ur wishing you tagged along now dontcha?  
  
**Riko:**Whatever. Have fun tomorrow :)

Damn. The sarcasm, and with the sassy smiley face too? W-Whatever. Riko was just jealous of Sakura! Surely that was all it was…

* * *

After sleeping on it, Yoshiko felt kinda bad. She was early, standing at the auxiliary hall entrance, just staring at her phone, cringing at the texts she’d sent. Had she really just tried to make Riko jealous? And by waving Sakura in her face? And for what? She was projecting her anger onto Riko all because she was too busy to accompany her? Talk about petty. W-Whatever! In any case, she was about to meet up with Sakura any minute now, so she should focus on that. She could always apologize and bring Riko to Fuyucomi, or next year’s Natsucomi—

“Good morning, Yoshiko-chan~”

Yoshiko spat out her proverbial drink. “Lily!? W-What are you doing here!?”

“We agreed to meet up here, no?” The casually dressed redhead wore an innocent, yet shit-eating grin.

“W-What are you talking about…?” The sly look in Riko’s eyes tipped her off. Those eyes. Those damn golden eyes. They were _Riko’s_ eyes…“Oh god, no…”

“Oh, _yes_.” Riko whipped out her phone. _“‘She’s super nice and super pretty, so don’t get jealous now,’”_ she began to recant.

Yoshiko’s face grew ten shades redder. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!! I was only saying that to make you jealous!!”

Riko looked at her, puzzled. “Why would you want to make me jealous?”

“I was mad at you for blowing me off!"

“And you thought I’d be jealous of Sakura?”

“I-I don’t know! Obviously, I didn’t know _you_ were actually Sakura! B-But enough about that!!” Yoshiko’s mind was running a mile a minute. She’d been duped! Bamboozled! “You have some explaining to do yourself!! Why were you here in the first place?! I thought you said you were busy!”

“Well, that was technically true…” Riko stroked her chin thoughtfully, “I was busy attending the con.”

Yoshiko shot her a bewildered look, the classic “are you kidding me?” look.

“Hey, don’t give me that! Think of how embarrassing it is for me to come here and buy my doujins!” Riko defended.

“But I already knew you read that stuff!”

“It doesn’t make it any less embarrassing!!”

Yoshiko rolled her eyes. Riko was such a normie. “And the cosplay?”

“Well, I knew you were going to be here,” the redhead explained, “so on the off-chance that I ran into you, I wanted my tracks to be covered. Turns out dressing up was the right call after all…”

This was all making complete sense and no sense, all at the same time. “So why are _you _here today and not Sakura?” Yoshiko pressed. “Why not keep the secret if you went through so much trouble?”

Riko’s voice softened, “Well…I saw how your eyes lit up and how much more fun you were having when you were with a friend. I realized _that’s_ the experience you were looking forward to when you asked me to join you. I-I don’t know…maybe I _was_ kind of jealous of Sakura, to be completely honest…”

“Jealous?? Hah, so I did make you jealous!”

“Shut up!” Riko pouted. “It’s only because you were being so nice to her! You’re never like that when you’re around me!”

Well damn. Did Riko really feel that way? Yoshiko didn’t _mean _to act any less friendly around Riko. But if she had to guess, there was probably a good reason for the discrepancy…a reason Riko might not know about… “You know I’m bad at talking to strangers! A-And obviously I can’t act that nice around someone I’m in love with! They’ll get suspicious!"

“…Huh?” Riko’s expression went blank. Had she heard that right…?

Yoshiko continued, unabashed, “Wanting to make you jealous, sure I was mad at you for bailing on me, but I mean, _maybe_ there was an ulterior motive there!” Yoshiko buried her head in her hands, “Gah, I bought a neso of you for crying out loud!”

Riko cracked a smile, finally putting the pieces together, her cheeks mirroring Yoshiko’s blush. “…Well, if it’s any consolation, I think Sakura might’ve fallen for Yohane…just a bit.”

Yoshiko lifted her head, a genuine perplexity to her face, “…Ok, now I’m confused, are we talking about you or…?”

Riko laughed, taking Yoshiko’s hand, “C’mon, you promised to show me around, didn’t you?”

**Author's Note:**

> started this in the summer, when it would've actually been relevant. it's no longer summer hahaha why do I procrastinate


End file.
